Container for hollow cylindrical objects



Dec. 19, 1933.

P. B. ERISMAN ET! AL Filed Oct. 18, 1932 Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED. STATES:

PATENT or ice.

7 1,940,489 a I CONTAINER. FOR HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL r OBJECTS Paul B. Erisman and Clifford F. Hawker, Lancaster, Pa., assi'gnors to Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 18, 1932.

Serial No. 538,294

15 Claims. (Cl. 2296-45) We provide a cushioned container which is particularly adapted to receive cylindrical record blanks such as are used on dictating machines.

7 These records may be reused after each trans- 10 scription by shaving or turning down the outer surface of the blank which has been grooved by the action of the stylus. The records are reused as many as one hundred times, and, as a consequence, the continued shaving of the surface reduces the wall thickness of the cylinder. The blanks are made of a waxcomposition which possesses little structural strength and the danger of breakage increases inv proportion to the reduction in wall thickness.

The records are often broken during transit from the manufacturer to the user, but the problem of safely transporting new records is not nearly as great as the problem of safely handling used records, especially when the wall thickness has been greatly reduced. Our cushioning support is preferably so 'con-' structed that it-may readily be removed from one container and placed in another. Thus, when a container becomes worn, the cushioning support may be readily removed and attached to a new container. By the use of our cushioned container, the record blanks may be purchased in bulk lots, without containers, and considerable savings. effected. The containers will outlast .35 many records. Of course, the cushioning supports may be inserted at the place of manufacture of-the records and breakage in transit will be greatly reduced if not entirely eliminated,

extended below the bottom of the container and serves as a frictional base therefor.

In order that our invention maybe more readily understood, we will describe a preferred embodiment thereof in connection with the accompanying drawing in which, I t

Figure 1 is a side view, partly broken away, illustrating a standard container construction and a cushioning support for a hollow cylindrical sound record; and j Figurev 2 is a sectional View showing a modified cushioning support in position in a standard container. p The container proper is of the conventional type used for packaging sound records and comprises essentially a paper tube 2 which forms the a body. The inner surface of the body is provided with a fabric lining 3 which serves to protect the surface of the record. from being scratched upon insertion. into and removal from the container.

This fabric is usually napped flannel and for ease of fabricaton it is preferably first secured to a cardboard layer prior to insertion into the container. The paper body is provided with an inturned bead 5 at or adjacent one end thereof. This bead. usually serves to retain apaper end cap which forms a bottom forthe container. According to our invention, this end cap is replaced with a cushioning support. V

The preferred cushioning support is shown in Figure 1. The support 611s generally cylindrical in shape and is shown as being integral with a shoulder '7 which serves to hold the support in position within the container. is provided with an annulus 8 adapted toreceive the inturned bead 5, and the width of the annulus is preferably slightly less than the width of theinturned bead 5, whereby the bead is frictionally grippedby the opposed faces!) and 10 of flanges 11 and 12. engages the wall of the container adjacent the bead 5 and, the flange 11 extends below the container and forms a soft frictional base 13 for the container.

In Figure 1, ahollow cylindrical sound record 14 is shown in position within the container. The outsidediarneter of the supporting cylinder 6 is preferably slightly greater than the inside diameter of the record 1411] is to support and is preferablytapered slightly from the shoulder 7' toward the outer peripheral edge of the'support 6 which is rounded offat 15 to facilitate insertion into the cylinder. The record 14 is forced over the support 6 until the end portion thereofen gages the shoulder 7 The cylinder 6 is compressed upon insertion into the record and due to its resilient nature, exerts an outward force and frictionally holds the record in position. It will be noted by reference to Figure 1 that the shoulder '7 spaces the support Gfrom the wall of the container a distance suflicient to permit easy insertion of the record. The record shownin Figure 1 has been shaved considerably; a new record would fitthe tube quite snugly. It will be apparent from the showing of. Figure 1 that The shoulder 7 the record would be. free to move considerably 9 The base 13 may be omitted if desired, but we 7 have found that it absorbs shocks incident to handling of the containers, and due to its frictional qualities prevents, to a large degree, accidental brushing of the container from the desk of the dictator or stenographer since it frictionally grips the surface of the desk and prevents slipping.

A satisfactory cushioning support may be formed Without'a frictional base by eliminating that portion to the left of the line A in Figure 1. In other words, the portion to the left of the flange 12 (Figure 1). may be omitted, in which.

scribed and the surface should be shaved for re 'i eighths of an inch to the foot.

use.

It will be noted by reference to Figure 2- that the internal diameter of the records tapers from the left or bottom endto the right or top. In standard records, this taper is about three- In a six-inch record, the internal diameter at the large or lower end is approximately 1 g" and the internal diameter at the top is 1%". It isapparent, therefore, that the cushioning support, if it is to fit both ends of the record, must be so fashioned that it may be readily deformed to fit the smaller diameter when the record is inserted in the inverted position and possess 'sufiicient frictional surface area to satisfactorily support the record when it is inserted in the usual manner. In the modified structure illustrated in Fig ure 2, that portion to the left of the shoulder 7 is the same as in Figure 1 and the corresponding parts have been indicated by similar numerals. The frictional support proper, however, is formed of an annular flange 17 which is preferably integral with a hollow cylindrical base .18. The wall of the flange 17 is relatively thin so that it may be readily deformed. In Figure 2, a the cushioning support is shown in position within the large end of a standard record. The flange 17 has been deformed to form a hollow'concaveconvex flange in which the record is engaged by the edge 19 of the flange. The flange is normally flat and parallel with the shoulderl. Upon insertioninto the record, the flange is flexed or mushroomed downwardly and due to its resilient nature resists compression and inherently tends to return to its normal, flat position thereby exerting force upon the wall of the record and frictionally and resiliently holding the record in place. i j

The record is shown in Figure 2 in seated position with its lower edge engaging the surface of the shoulder 7. When the record is'inserted it is forced downwardly until the end touches the shoulder 7. 'The flange is thereby flexed and it naturally tends to raise upwardly thereby raising the record and floating it away from the shoulder 7. This forms a highly desirable cushioning support because shocks are not transmitted directly to the record. The record may be seated as shown in Figure 2 by turning the record after insertion.

When the records are inserted in an inverted position, the flange 17 is simply flexed more and depth of the flange.

the amount of force exerted on the record is consequently greater. The pressure exerted by the flange is dependent to some extent upon the This depth may be increased or decreased by reducing or increasing the diameter of the base 18.

The cushioning support is formed of any compressible and expansible material. We have found that a cork and sponge rubber composition is admirably suited for this purpose. It possesses a high coeiiicient of friction and is soft and compressible due to its spongy nature and at the same time possesses considerable structural strength and rigidity due to the incorporation of cork granules. s

A suitable cork and sponge rubber composition may be formed by working the following mixture on a rubber mill, molding and blowing as is well known in the rubber'art. All of the proportions are given'by weight.

. 7 Parts Pale crepe rubber 320 Cork 160 Tetramethylthiuramdisulphide 3 Zinc 16 Petrolatum 16 Stearic acid 16 Sulphur; 8 'lviercaptobenz'othiazole -3 Litharge 3 Anti-oxidant 8 Bicarbonate of soda 40 The cushioning support may be molded into M the desired final shape. We prefer, however, to mold a hollow cylindrical blank.- A shaft is inserted into the opening 16 and placed in suitable supports for rotation. The surface is then contoured to the desired final shapeby grinding.

By providing the opening 16 in the supporting cylinder, we have found that thematerial compresses more'readily when inserted into a record and more frictional engagement may be had since out such an opening 16.

. The supports may be readily inserted. into-the containers by placing the'support into the container with the shoulder 7 in contact with the outer edgeof the bead 5, and then forcing the piece into the container until the flange 12 passes over the bead 5.- The-flange 11. may then engage the outer portion of the bead 5 and the flange 12 may engage both the inside wall of the container 'be understood that the invention maybe otherwise embodied and practiced within the the following claims. 7 We claim: I

1 In combination with a container for hollow cylindrical bodies, a cushioning support disposed scope of within the container and spaced from the wall thereof by a shoulder frictionally engaging the wall of the container and extending beyond the cylindrical bodies, a cylindricalcushioning support of compressible and expansible material disposed within the container and spaced from the wall thereof by a shoulder which frictionally holds the support in fixed relationship with respect to the container, said cylindrical cushioning support being of greater external diameter than the internal diameter of the hollow cylindrical body which it is to support whereby the hollow cylindrical body is frictionally engaged by the cushioning support and yieldingly supported thereby.

3. In combination with a container for hollow cylindrical bodies, a cushioning support of readily compressible and expansible material having a relatively high coefficient of friction disposed within the container and spaced from the wall thereof by an integral shoulder which frictionally holds the support in fixed relationship with respect to the wall of the container.

4. In combination with a container forhollow cylindrical bodies, a cylindrical cushioning support formed of a rubber composition which is readily compressible and expansible and possesses a relatively high coefficient of friction disposed within the container and spaced from the wall thereof by a shoulder which frictionally holds the support in fixed relationship with respect to the wall of the container.

5. In combination with a container for hollow cylindrical bodies, a cushioning support formed of a cork and sponge rubber composition which is readily compressible and expansible and possesses a relatively high coefficient of friction disposed within the container and spaced from the wall thereof by an annular shoulder which frictionally holds the support in fixed relationship with respect to the wall of the container.

6. In combination with acontainer for hollow cylindrical bodies, said container having an inturned bead adjacent one end thereof, a cushioning support comprising a cylindrical body having a shoulder provided with a pair of oppositely disposed flanges forming an annulus adapted to receive said inturned bead and frictionally hold said cushioning support in'position with respect to said container.

'7. In combination with a container for hollow cylindrical bodies, said container having an inturned bead, a cushioning support comprising a hollow cylindrical body of relatively compressible and expansible material having a relatively high coefficient of friction and having a shoulder provided with a pair of oppositely disposed flanges forming an annulus adapted to receive said inturned bead and frictionally hold said cushioning support in position with respect to said container.

8. In combination with a container for hollow cylindrical bodies, a cushioning support comprising a hollow cylindrical body provided with an integral annular flange adapted to frictionally hold said cushioning support in fixed relationship with respect to said container and to space the support from the wall of the container, said cylindrical body tapering inwardly from said flange.

9. In combination with a container forhollow cylindrical bodies, a cushioning support comprising an annular base and an upstanding cylindrical body engaging portion positioned centrally of said base and adapted to frictionally and yieldingly hold saidhollow cylindrical body in fixed relationshipwith respect to the wall of saidcontainer.

10. In combination with a container for hollow cylindrical bodies, a cushioning support comprising an annular base, a body engaging means spaced from said base and an integral resilient cylinder connecting said base and saidbody engaging means. 7 7

11. In combination with a container for hollow cylindrical bodies, a cushioning support comprising an annular base and a cylindrical support terminating in a readily deformable annular flange. the exterior diameter of said flange being greater than the internal diameter of the body it is to support. ,105

12. In combination with a container for hollow" cylindrical bodies, a cushioning support comprising an annular base, an annular flange adapted to frictionally engage the hollow cylindrical body on its inner periphery and a resilient support 110 spacing said flange from said base.

13. A cushioning support for hollow cylindrical bodies comprising an annular base and an upstanding cylindrical body engaging portion of compressible and expansible material disposed 5 centrally of said annular base, said cylindrical portion being greater in diameter than the internal diameter of the hollow cylindrical body, it is to support.

14. A cushioning support for hollow cylindrical 2 bodies comprising-a resilient base provided with a pair of oppositely disposed flanges forming an annulus adapted to receive the inturned bead on a paper container and an upstanding cylindrical body engaging portion integral with said base.

15. A cushioning support adapted to be removably attached to a cylindrical container for hollow cylindrical bodies comprising aresilient base and an integral upstanding support terminating in an annular flange, said cushioning support formed of a readily compressible and expansible rubber composition.

' PAUL B. ERISMAN.

CLIFFORD F. HAWKER. 

